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400 farmers rally to send message on food to Scottish government

Philip Case 03 November 2022
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© NFU Scotland© NFU Scotland

More than 400 farmers and crofters have sent a clear message to the Scottish government – it must place food production at the heart of the country’s future agricultural policy.

Farmers and crofters travelled from across the country from Shetland to Stranraer and all points in between to give their support to NFU Scotland (NFUS)’s #FoodNeedsAFarmer rally.

The rally took place outside the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh, on Wednesday 2 November.

See also: Forget food security ‘at our peril’, warns NFUS president

NFUS-branded placards held by farmers included references to the dire situation in the pig industry, noting pig producers were losing £72.54 per pig on average.

Other placards urged “Less bull, more backing”, “Farms not forests” and “Let us grow”.

The rally comes at a time when farmers and crofters are being consulted by the Scottish government on a new Agriculture Bill which will decide future agricultural policy. 

Several prominent MSPs addressed the rally, including:

  • Farming minister Mairi Gougeon
  • Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross
  • Scottish Conservative and rural affairs committee chair Finlay Carson
  • Scottish National Party’s Jim Fairlie, who is also a farmer
  • Scottish Labour Party’s Colin Smyth
  • Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton
  • Scottish Green Party’s Ariane Burgess

More than 40 MSPs left the parliament building to meet with their constituents.

‘Learn from energy crisis’

Speaking after the event, NFUS president Martin Kennedy said: “At a UK level, we have taken our eye off the ball on energy and look at the mess we have got ourselves into. 

“We cannot repeat that same mistake with food or the food and cost-of-living crisis we are all currently enduring will simply get worse. Food security is now a global issue, and we have a moral obligation to produce it. 

“The ‘win, win, win’ for the Scottish government is that investing in this nation’s food production will deliver the wider environmental goals we all want to provide.”

While the rally at Holyrood was taking place, NFUS director of policy Jonnie Hall was at Westminster meeting many Scottish MPs who took part in the NFU’s Back British Farming Day.  

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